Prince of Yesterday
by Lockea Stone
Summary: Yukiru. AU In a world built by technology and guided by magic, a young barmaid and her two friends find themselves entangled in the web of secrets surrounding the powerful Sohma family. Can they solve the puzzle before destiny destroys the land?
1. Shadows on the Wall

Prince of Yesterday

Disclaimer: Applies to all chapters. I am a teenage drama queen with a demon Yuki the Rat plushie, the six English Furuba Mangas, all four DVDs, and a wall hanging of the Furuba gang. Plus other anime junk NOT related to Fruits Basket. I suppose you could sue me, but the point that it's FANFICTION should be warning enough.

_**AU: In a world built by technology and guided by magic, a young barmaid and her two friends, an assassin and a seer, find themselves tangled in the web of secrets surrounding the powerful Sohma family. Can they solve the puzzle before destiny destroys the land?**_

AN: Something akin to The Kingdom of Glass, here. Yeah, Most everyone should show up in this story, including Akito as a guy, sorry guys, I only speak/read English; it's the way I am. I noticed that there are very few dynamic AU's, in which the world was changed completely and the storyline entirely new, and this idea's been in my head for a while. I hope you enjoy the drama. New Science Fiction happens to be my forte.

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Chapter One: Shadows on the Wall 

_There in the darkness no shadows linger._

It was an old saying, handed down from commoner to commoner, for a cloak can be cast aside, it's secrets revealed, so no one ever stayed in one place to long for fear of a guard passing by.

These were words the woman in the streets had taken to heart, for she tugged her shawl ever near and moved with a speed only a common person as lithe as she could maintain, for nobles were slow and elegant, but her posture, though showing a certain grace, was not exactly noble. Such things were irrelevant to her as she turned the corner off the main stone street and down a muddy alleyway, a more favorable path for the young brunette.

'I'm so late.' Her thoughts were rushed, paced well with each step she took, not bothering to lift her brown skirts from the mud, letting it slosh over her worn old boots. She turned down another alleyway, drawing back against the wall tightly when she noticed another person, fearing a guard may have found her. 'Oh, no, Mother, what am I going to do? Han will be furious if I'm any later. I'm sure Uo and Hana are worried about me right now.'

A moment's breathe as the figure turned out to be nothing more than a drunk; she passed on quickly, carefully avoiding that path. Another few turns and she came back onto the main road, crossing it to the next alley where a side door lead into the kitchen of a busy tavern. "I'm so sorry I'm late!" She gushed, hanging her shawl on a peg near the open fire, bowing to the main chef, a heavy set woman with black hair pinned sternly in a bun, not a strand set free.

"Again, Tohru? What's the excuse this time?" Without waiting for a reply, the woman added, "Never mind, I don't want to hear it. Just go help Alicia before she murders those men."

"Thank you, Han! I will, and I promise not to be late again!" Another bow and the girl called Tohru disappeared into the busy common room of the tavern called The Black Rose, suitably named for its notorious nature as a hideout of all sorts. A place safe from the guards of the corrupt city. She grabbed a tray from the counter, greeting the bartender with a smile, and danced her way through the crowded haze of the room, nodding to her harried counterpart, Alicia, on the way.

"Hey Tohru!" Arisa Uotani, one of the best assassins not employed to the elusive Sohma family, hailed her friend from where she sat with the seer, Saki Hanajima, in a forgotten corner of the room.

"Oh, hello! I'm sorry I'm late, I came as fast as I could." She cleared away the half eaten plates of her friends' dinner carefully, so as not to break anything. For everything around them was far too expensive for her to afford.

"What kept you?" Uo asked, her normally fierce blue eyes widened in worry for her closest friend since their youth.

Tohru simply smiled and waved her free hand dismissively, "I had some problems with my landlord but its all taken care of now, please don't worry about me." Silently, she added, 'If I keep my job, maybe I can pay that debt. Oh Mom, how did I get in so deep?'

"Indeed. I don't believe we shall ever stop worrying for you." That was all the black haired woman said, taking a careful sip of her tea. Then she was silent again.

The brunette's blank look was quickly replaced by a smile as she finished clearing the place and taking her loaded tray into the back, returning moments later with a beer for Uo and more tea for Hana. "What brings you two here when it's this crowded?" She asked cheerfully, normally the two were in and out before the rush, only stopping long enough to make sure Tohru had made it on time.

"Client." Uo ran her finger around the rim of the glass, bored. "He's supposed to be here soon, so we'll be gone as soon as we finish the details."

Not being one to ask of her friend's less than legal work, the girl simply nodded and turned away, clearing the evening meal from nearby tables. She came to and from the kitchen for well over an hour, pausing near their table to talk for only just a moment before rushing off to help until most of the evening diners had left and the rush slowed in the tavern. Still, Uo's client had not shown.

"Maybe he got lost." Tohru answered when Uo voiced her comment of his absence aloud while the maid was nearby.

"Maybe. It's not everyday the- er, I mean, someone like him comes to this side of the city." The blonde grinned, "Not to worry, he'll be here soon."

"Here he comes." Right on cue to Hana's soft remark, a cloaked figure entered the inn, looking slightly lost. Tohru greeted him and told him where to find the assassin before rushing off to whatever it was she did.

"So, looks like the prince finally found us." Uo greeted with her usual almost sarcastic nature, toning it down only barely for their client.

The figure removed his hood, revealing himself to be a man in his late teenage years, dark gray haired and violet eyed with fragile, almost doll-like features. Yet in the darkness there really was almost no way to see who he was unless they looked closely and knew what he looked like. "My apologies, Miss Uotani, it is not often I find myself in this part of the city. If I may ask, why here?"

"Why do you enlist the help of a street assassin and a seer when you have many of your own already under your command, my prince?" Hana replied cryptically.

The prince's expression remained calm, "All right then, shall we get down to business?"

"Sure, only been waiting all damn night." The assassin switched from her bored position to one that showed her usual aggressive energy. "Whatcha need? Hana and I do it all, we don't mind getting our hands dirty."

"I need information."

Suddenly Uo lost all interest and returned to leaning back in her chair. "How boring, we don't do that sort of thing. Now if you needed someone to conveniently disappear, we could arrange that. But information? Don't you have a spymaster for that?"

"Yes, but the information that comes through the city web often has information necessary filtered out of it. I need someone who doesn't first report to another member of my family, someone who reports straight to me." He answered calmly.

"So you're saying the spies you have aren't trustworthy and you think we are?" That was a laugh. She, Arisa Uotani, was the greatest assassin on the streets and most of her targets were high ranking nobles. There was no way she would faithfully assist the heir to the most powerful family in the city, unless he bound her word, then she wouldn't really have a choice but to keep the information between him and herself.

Which she doubted he would be smart enough to do.

"I know that you are a woman of your word and will keep it, therefore you are more trustworthy than the spies currently in my family's employment."

That put him about seven IQ points higher in Uo's book. "I see, then, promise me some action and a good sum of money and we have a deal." Here was where she'd really determine his intelligence.

"All right, if things go according to plan, you may become a key player in the most important events this city has ever faced." The prince told her, "It is not something you want to pass on to one of your street rivals."

"Considering we are talking about the Sohma family's wealth, my prince, I don't think I shall. I will gather the information and keep it confidential for a fee of thirty thousand."

"Far too high for a simple informant. Ten thousand is much more reasonable."

"Hazard pay, I have many enemies and people I must protect." Responded the blonde. "Ten thousand hazard and two thousand a month for the duration of our deal."

"Seven thousand hazard and one thousand a month. Final offer, Miss Uotani."

"Ahh, prince, but you wouldn't want word to leak out on the streets about the heir to the Sohma family engaging in secret business. Seven thousand hazard and two thousand a month."

"… All right then, Miss Arisa Uotani, I expect updates every two weeks at the location determined at our last meeting. We will meet here again in two weeks time."

"Then we are in agreement and our meeting is therefore finished. Good doing business with you, Prince Yuki." Uo stood at the same time her client did, shaking his hand to finalize the deal. The young man left just as quick as he came, leaving the two young women alone again. Uo grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Tohru noticed and found her way back to them, smiling as usual. "Did your deal go well, Uo?"

"Quite, thanks for asking. It looks like everything's going our way this time. Now if only there were a little more excitement, then it'd be too good to be true."

"That's good." Her grin widened. 'Mother, if Uo thinks everything will get better now, that our hard times are finished, I have to believe her. It's been tough since you died, but it looks like things are looking up and I only have things to be grateful for, a good job, my home, and the two best friends a girl could want.

'Though something doesn't feel right, about that man and I really hope Uo doesn't get hurt. I don't know what I'd do if I lost Uo and Hana. Then I'd truly be alone.'

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Ending Notes 

Here we go. I think this could have been longer but I didn't want to drag it on. It's an introduction to the characters, next time we'll be moving on to more about Tohru and her life, as well as fated meetings that will set in motion events that will change the city in which they live forever.

If the entire chapter went over you head, pretty much Uo is an assassin, Hana's a silent seer, and Tohru's a barmaid/waitress. She's an orphan in a hard time in her life when Uo lands a job with the Prince of the City, Yuki Sohma, but Tohru doesn't know this… How long before she and the Sohma's cross paths?

Next Chapter: Tohru has a brush with death in the markets, only to be saved by a mysterious person. Who is he and what role does he play in the tale of the Prince of Yesterday?

Please Review and leave some constructive criticism

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* * *

Later! 

Lockea


	2. Fated Encounters

The Prince of Yesterday

New Science Fiction is the combination of the two genres Science Fiction and Fantasy; the term was coined by Sunrise with 1996's Vision of Escaflowne and has become increasingly popular among the writing community. This story is focused more on fantasy than science fiction.

Lurking Shadows: (aka Spatial Monkey, aka Latent Psychopath). Quit changing you penname! It's driving me crazy. Anyway, thanks for pointing that out, right on it! Domo Arigatou!

Katt: Nope. Changing Pennames (aka Latent Psychopath or whatever she is when I update this) beat you. Yay! First time someone other than Katt reviewed first.

PeaceLoveOcelot: That's probably because it is a fantasy sort setting. As we get more into the story, especially in this chapter, you'll see more of what this place is built on. The Maze, where Tohru, Uo, and Hana live, is the old part of the city, designed to be reminiscent of an American city during the industrial revolution. The newer part of the city where the Sohmas are from is like Zaibach, if you've everseenEscaflowne. Thanks for the review! I hope that helps.

As far as pairings go it's looking like a Yukiru, but I'm not sure. Maybe a Kyoru, but I like UoKyo pairings myself. Hana's not a major character so I'm not sure with her either.

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_Chapter Two: Fated Encounters_

Dawn light illuminated the streets and alleys of the Maze, the southern part of the city, signaling the start of the typical work day for many of the commoners that inhabited that section of town. Tohru Honda, however, was just waking up from her sparse sleep after working until midnight at a tavern on the other side of town.

She rose and greeted the day has she had done every morning all her life, by standing in the muddy alley just beyond her ground level apartment and staring up through the clothes lines that connected the rundown buildings to each other. She could see a small break in the gray clouds, which meant the sun might actually shine again, like it had when she was a small girl. Even though it was unlikely, she had to hope.

Then she had a thought, "Maybe if it rains enough, all the pollution will be washed away, leaving only the clean air above us."

"That's a pleasant thought. Good morning!" The young woman followed the voice to find a man the same age as she leaning out the window of the building across the street, two floors up. "Maybe if it rains enough it will drown the Sohma family out of power and then we'll be rid of all this filth."

She gasped. "No, no, you shouldn't say things like that! What if someone heard you? You'd be killed for sure!"

The man laughed. "I'm not worried. C'mon, Tohru, you and I have lived here our whole lives and never seen a guard this far back in the Maze. The only people around are those who feel the same way."

"Oh, still, you never know. Hana says there's something secret happening right now and we have to be careful." Tohru called back.

"Come to think of it, there have been more guards in the main streets." He seemed to remember something just then and waved. "Anyway, I've got to get to work. Have a good day Tohru."

"You too, Duo!" As he vanished from the window, she returned indoors to finish readying herself for the day. She dressed simply, in a dark blue skirt that had once belonged to her mother, and a loose white shirt, her usual muddy brown boots and her heavy black shawl completed the outfit.

Now to find her basket and she was off to the markets to do her weekly shopping. Her own home was neat and well kept, but even it showed obvious signs of wear. The walls were water stained yellowed, the floor on the verge of giving out, and she was thankful no one lived above her, or the roof might have already collapsed. For being very old, the entire neighborhood was in good condition, especially compared to where Uo lived.

After a few minutes of hunting around her apartment she found the basket right under her nose, as in under her summer shawl near the door. Then she was off, set down narrow alleys of buildings that fell just short of the sky. These pathways were filled with others, children playing games and laughing, people on their way to work, and some of the outer market shops just opening for the new day.

This was the world Tohru was raised in and would trade for nothing. Passing by friends who called her name on her stroll, stopping frequently to speak with shopkeepers of all the small happenings and rumors of the streets. Slowly, the Maze changed to more organized roads, and the guards in the street increased, forcing the woman to watch her step.

She was stopped at the arches that marked the entrance of the market by a sentry, but passed through the routine checkpoint quickly and with little fuss. In the early morning, the market itself was not so crowded, thankfully, and she was able to barter for the items she needed with ease. Haggling was a skill she'd learned well from her mother, and she always made sure to please both sides of the party without leaving with a too light purse.

All in all, it had turned out to be a good day; Tohru decided as she at some bread she'd bought from the bakery, sitting on the side of the road and watching the people pass by. Forgetting all things and lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the guards as they approached her until they were right in front of her.

"Hey, stupid girl, did you not hear me?"

She snapped from her daydream, a look of pure panic mixed with a very subtle terror crossing her face as her green eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry." What had he said? What did these guards want with her, oh no. This was not good.

"Damn whore, what are you deaf?" The first of the guards, a malicious smirk across his face, grabbed her wrist and flung her to the ground in the middle of the road, causing a scene, but most of the people turned away, not daring to be caught in the middle of this affair.

Tohru landed on her side, her basket flung away from her, its contents spilled on the streets. Why today? Why her? 'Someone, please help me.' It wasn't right of her, after she herself had turned away so many times before, but she desperately wanted someone to come.

She lifted herself up to her knees, keeping her head bent to keep from crying. The guard came closer, his fellows urging him on. He was only a few feet away when her prayer was answered, out of the blue, a blur knocked the guard back with a swift kick, grabbed her arm and tugged her away into the allies leading back into the Maze.

"AFTER THEM!"

Oh, no. The cloaked figure who rescued her continued running and she kept pace with him as best she could. forgetting about her lost shawl and basket. They turned many corners, deeper and deeper, though quickly Tohru realized her rescuer had no idea where he was going, but at least he had lost them without double backing, quite a feat for a stranger.

When it was safe, they stopped to catch their breath and Tohru had a chance to look at the mysterious person. His hood had fallen away during the chase to reveal a mess of orange hair, naturally untamable and beautiful, bright red eye. His skin was a dark tan, like a field worker's, and a giveaway that he was not from the Maze. He dressed simply in lose clothes, all practical but well made and worn from use, sturdy boots, and a light brown cloak suited for his colors over them, also in poor condition. A traveler maybe?

"T-thank you." She panted, catching her breath.

"Don't sweat it, I only did what any decent person would have." He brushed aside her remark, turning to walk away.

She caught his arm. "No, wait. No one ever defies the guards, if they do they'll get killed. Please, I have to do something to thank you."

"Forget about it. Those guards couldn't stop me even if their lives depended on it. It really was nothing."

She stared up into his eyes, "At least tell me your name?"

The man contemplated but answered, "My name is Kyo."

"Kyo..." Tohru tasted the name on her lips, it was sweet and easy, a good name for a person like him. "I'm Tohru. Are you a traveler passing through?"

"I'm going to see my family; I've been away for a long time." He looked uncomfortable. "I should go now."

Tohru nodded. "I understand. Please don't hesitate to find me, I live here in the maze and just ask someone for me, Tohru Honda, it's not a common name."

Something akin to shock passed his tan face, but he nodded, swept his cloak around, and was gone without a trace. Leaving Tohru with a memory reminiscent of the ballads sang by bards when they came to her tavern...

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Black eyes closed but watching recorded the event in her mind. She knew who both of them were. The young captain of the guards and her dear friend, a story unfolding before her. "Too... soon..." She whispered weakly, afraid that events were falling into place too quickly and it would result in an unwanted death. But her powers were not enough to counter his, and in the end all she could do was watch, and pray that no harm should pass either of them.

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Chapter two is short but I kind of wanted to get it done and out there so you knew I was still alive (like the AN was not enough). I started this chapter immediately after the other one but it kinda went ka-plop when the Effexor stopped working and I stopped being able to concentrate. Now I feel better and am back to writing.

Next Time: Everything is beginning to fall into place. Why does the mysterious prince seek the help of a young assassin? Who is this mysterious person that draws their reality into place? What goes on in the halls of the Sohma Palace?

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Lockea


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